Changmin Zhang, Hongtao Zhu, B. Wallet, Yang Li, C. Zou, Lirong Dou, Tai-ju Yin, T. Duan, Shenghe Wu, Chengyan Lin, X. Yu, Jinliang Zhang, Shaohua Li, Yanshu Yin, S. Ma, W. Feng, Zhiyang Li, Rui Zhu, H. Zeng
{"title":"Introduction to special section: Understanding and modeling the architecture of conventional and unconventional hydrocarbon reservoirs","authors":"Changmin Zhang, Hongtao Zhu, B. Wallet, Yang Li, C. Zou, Lirong Dou, Tai-ju Yin, T. Duan, Shenghe Wu, Chengyan Lin, X. Yu, Jinliang Zhang, Shaohua Li, Yanshu Yin, S. Ma, W. Feng, Zhiyang Li, Rui Zhu, H. Zeng","doi":"10.1190/int-2022-1222-spseintro.1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1190/int-2022-1222-spseintro.1","url":null,"abstract":"<jats:p> </jats:p>","PeriodicalId":51318,"journal":{"name":"Interpretation-A Journal of Subsurface Characterization","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2022-12-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43349806","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"USE OF MULTIBEAM BATHYMETRY AND BACKSCATTER TO IMPROVE SEABED GEOCHEMICAL SURVEYS: PART 2, BEST PRACTICES AND CASE STUDIES IN SEEP HUNTING FOR EXPLORATION, WITH AN EMPHASIS ON INDONESIA","authors":"D. Orange, P. Teas, J. Decker, J. Gharib","doi":"10.1190/int-2022-0067.1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1190/int-2022-0067.1","url":null,"abstract":"The successful sampling of seafloor oil and gas seeps can provide information on source rock, migration, maturation and charge that can impact exploration decisions. Although 3D seismic data can be interpreted for potential seafloor seeps, multibeam can be acquired over larger areas at lower cost and in a shorter turnaround time, with bathymetry, backscatter and water column imagery leading to the interpretation of potential seafloor seep targets. The use of multibeam-based exploration early in an exploration project can provide information on the petroleum systems in an area, and also areas where no evidence of a petroleum system is present at the seafloor. In this paper we present case studies of block-specific seep hunting and regional multibeam surveys. For regional surveys, multibeam can be combined with 2D seismic, USBL (ultra-short baseline) positioned piston coring, heat flow, high resolution sub-bottom profiles, marine gravity and magnetics, and core geochemistry to evaluate exploration potential. The first multibeam-for-exploration survey, with cores acquired for geochemistry, was carried out in 2000 offshore Barbados. Applying a tool used in Academia and other industry projects, USBL positioning in real time in a GIS environment was used to confidently place a core barrel on a seafloor seep target beginning in 2002. In 2003, Unocal acquired the first basin-wide multibeam survey for exploration and demonstrate that multibeam can rapidly interrogate a very large area at a relatively modest cost. Indonesia basin- and regional-scale projects demonstrated the value of multibeam-based exploration through the successful farm-out of exploration blocks with a promote (where the farm-in-ee(s) pays a higher percentage of costs than their percentage of equity). We review several examples of seep studies, with an emphasis on Indonesia; target selection philosophy, criteria, and ranking; and target types. Mud volcano and hard substrate sampling can provide information on the sub-surface without drilling.","PeriodicalId":51318,"journal":{"name":"Interpretation-A Journal of Subsurface Characterization","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2022-12-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43097858","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Xu Zeng, Jinying Dong, P. Zhao, Wei Liu, C. Bian, Chunlin Zhang
{"title":"Classification and well log identification of lithofacies of continental shale oil reservoirs in Chang 7-3 sub-member of Triassic Yanchang Formation in Longdong area of Ordos Basin, China","authors":"Xu Zeng, Jinying Dong, P. Zhao, Wei Liu, C. Bian, Chunlin Zhang","doi":"10.1190/int-2022-0070.1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1190/int-2022-0070.1","url":null,"abstract":"The division and identification of lithology and lithofacies are very important in exploration and development of oil and gas reservoirs. Information on lithofacies determines the development modes and provides the favorable \"sweet spot\" intervals of shales. The Chang 7-3 sub-member of the Triassic Yanchang Formation in the Longdong area of the Ordos Basin is an important shale formation in China. Core photos, cast thin sections, and log response characteristics were used to clarify the development and distribution characteristics of the various lithofacies in this formation. The lithofacies of target intervals are classified into fine grained sandy debrite, silty to fine grained sandy turbidite, fine grained sandy slump, semi-deep to deep lacustrine mudstone, and deep lacustrine shale. Further, the conventional and micro-resistivity imaging log response characteristics of different lithofacies are analyzed. Compared with other lithofacies, deep lacustrine shale facies are characterized by high gamma ray (GR), high compensated neutron log (CNL), high acoustic log (AC), and low density (DEN) log values. Crossplots of GR-AC, DEN-CNL, and DEN-AC are proposed to identify most of the lithofacies, and a criterion was established for use of well logs to characterize the lithofacies. Finally, a method joining conventional logs and micro-resistivity imaging log data was applied to field wells, achieving the very high accuracy rate of 88%. The distribution maps of different lithofacies thickness in the study area are obtained. Deep lacustrine shale faces have the widest development area and many thickness centers. Accurate and effective identification of lithofacies shows that within Ordos Basin, there is an area of about 20,000 km2 with shale thickness greater than 6 m, providing an important basis for shale oil exploration in the study area.Keywords: Continental shale oil; Lithofacies; Lacustrine shale; Micro-resistivity imaging","PeriodicalId":51318,"journal":{"name":"Interpretation-A Journal of Subsurface Characterization","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2022-12-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49654316","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"USE OF MULTIBEAM BATHYMETRY AND BACKSCATTER TO IMPROVE SEABED GEOCHEMICAL SURVEYS: PART 1, HISTORICAL REVIEW, TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION, AND BEST PRACTICES","authors":"D. Orange, P. Teas, J. Decker, J. Gharib","doi":"10.1190/int-2021-0236.1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1190/int-2021-0236.1","url":null,"abstract":"Oil and gas seeps have been a key tool in hydrocarbon exploration since ancient times. Basin-wide reconnaissance exploration, focused on basic geology and identification of hydrocarbon seepage, has been typical of onshore basin analysis since the beginning of the petroleum industry. Since the discovery of marine chemosynthetic cold seep communities in the mid-1980s, and their association with offshore oil and gas seepage, the energy industry has been mapping seeps both to target them for exploration and avoid them in development. For exploration, the successful sampling of oil or gas at the seafloor reduces exploration risk by demonstrating generative source rock, maturation, migration, and charge all key data about the subsurface petroleum systems. In the marine environment, seep communities and associated diagenetic precipitates can modify the bathymetry and/or the backscatter and can be imaged by Multibeam Echo Sounding (MBES). MBES can provide detailed bathymetry of the seafloor; multibeam backscatter can provide not only potential targets for seep sampling, but information on the seafloor characteristics at or just below the seafloor; and multibeam Water Column data can image gas plumes rising from the seafloor. Multibeam was introduced outside of military applications in the 1970s, with the application of multibeam to seep science in the oil and gas industry, and the use of USBL-positioned cores in a real-time GIS to target seeps, began in the late 1990s, with the first proprietary survey in 2000. We review the history of multibeam, the history of seep science, and lessons learned over decades to best practices in seep hunting, from vessel specification to dry dock to pre-survey to survey operations to target selection.","PeriodicalId":51318,"journal":{"name":"Interpretation-A Journal of Subsurface Characterization","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2022-12-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42102823","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jiaxue Pei, Guo Xiaoyu, Hu Yingjie, Guo Feng, Liu Baohong, Hao Liang, Zhang Ruixue, F. Zheng
{"title":"Research and application of 5D seismic prediction technology","authors":"Jiaxue Pei, Guo Xiaoyu, Hu Yingjie, Guo Feng, Liu Baohong, Hao Liang, Zhang Ruixue, F. Zheng","doi":"10.1190/int-2021-0223.1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1190/int-2021-0223.1","url":null,"abstract":"With the development of wide orientation, wide band, and high-density acquisition and processing technology, the original 3D (time, line number, and track number) seismic data have expanded to two dimensions — the addition of offset distance information and azimuth information, resulting in 5D seismic data. In this paper, we explore three aspects. Identifying microfaults through subazimuth superposition and poststack coherent body techniques; predicting fractures by means of prestack anisotropy, poststack dip, azimuth, coherence, and curvature; and inscribing river channels with pure longitudinal wave near-zero incidence angle reflection information — that is, the exploration of 5D seismic prediction techniques. The field application in different types of geologic bodies in the Lujabao Depression and the Ordos Basin and the accuracy of reservoir prediction and the degree of implementation of microfaults have been greatly enhanced, effectively guiding the deployment of wells and improving the drilling success rates.","PeriodicalId":51318,"journal":{"name":"Interpretation-A Journal of Subsurface Characterization","volume":"21 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2022-12-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41299650","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Edimar Perico, H. Bedle, Bobby Buist, A. Damasceno
{"title":"Fault characterization in a postsalt reservoir interval, Juabarte Field (Campos Basin) using seismic attributes and machine learning","authors":"Edimar Perico, H. Bedle, Bobby Buist, A. Damasceno","doi":"10.1190/int-2022-0061.1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1190/int-2022-0061.1","url":null,"abstract":"Seismic attributes are routinely applied for interpretation tasks. Changes in amplitude and phase components reveal faults, and provide insights into hydrocarbon reservoir management. We investigate how different seismic attributes improve the recognition of faults. Data conditioning and unsupervised machine learning methods complement the analysis. The area covered by the 4D/4C Jubarte Permanent Reservoir Monitoring (PRM) system in the northern part of Campos Basin was used to test the impact of different algorithms and parameters. Changes in seismic anomalies associated with post-salt reservoirs reveal the presence of faults and fractures. However, seismic noise and geological units with weak acoustic impedance contrasts required the application of additional methods. Spectral balancing and structure-oriented filtering (SOF) increased the lateral continuity of some stratigraphic reflectors and attenuated random noise, which improved fault surface visibility in many areas. Seismic attributes, both geometric and instantaneous, uncover additional features of fault surfaces. Comparisons between different azimuth-restricted volumes reveal that faults can be delineated when the acquisition direction is positioned perpendicular to structure. Attributes computed using the full-stack volume show less noise content and more rectilinear fault segments. Most-positive and most-negative curvature components indicate more details of major features, and have the advantage of indicating possible up-thrown and down-thrown sides of a deformational zone. The large number of seismic cubes and attributes motivated the use of principal component analysis (PCA) and self-organizing maps (SOM), which complements the identification of faults segments with clusters composed of specific neurons aligned within structural discontinuities. The improvements obtained demonstrated the importance of having a workflow that combines different methods. For the Jubarte Field, a multi-attribute approach demonstrates advantages for delineating the lateral extension of faults and a more precise discontinuity location. Finally, the impact that seismic noise and stratigraphic features may have in the characterization of discontinuities associated with faults was noted.","PeriodicalId":51318,"journal":{"name":"Interpretation-A Journal of Subsurface Characterization","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2022-12-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43918711","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"HIDDEN HYDROSPHERE UNDER THE CASPIAN SEA: GEOPHYSICAL EVIDENCE AND SEA LEVEL INFLUENCE","authors":"V. Putans, M. Trimonova, L. Merklin","doi":"10.1190/int-2021-0102.1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1190/int-2021-0102.1","url":null,"abstract":"We analyzed geologic-geophysical data, both from archives and collections in recent expeditions by the Shirshov Institute of Oceanology RAS (SIO RAS), and revealed many anomalies in the seismoacoustic wavefield. Anomalies are of two types: horizontal disturbed layers and vertical pipes. Anomalies form associations — pipes (chimneys) are rooted in disturbed layers and go through sediments up to the seafloor and form pockmarks. We consider all specified seismic anomalies and bottom microrelief as a possibility of vertical migration of gas and water via sediments (fluid from sediments to water and from seawater to sediments). It is expected that the fluids form a huge underground hydrosphere below the Caspian Sea. To test the fluid flow, we made a mathematical model of fluid discharge and absorption in bottom sediments. We hypothesize that the Caspian Sea level fluctuates, at least partially, due to cycles of the submarine ground water discharge and sea water absorption back into the sediments. This cyclicity of fluid discharge and absorption correlates with regional seismic events. The earthquakes cause tectonic relaxation, triggering the absorption process, and sea-level drop due to reverse flow into sediments. In other periods, the tectonic tension causes sediment compression and fluid discharge to sea water, which causes sea-level rise. The model was tested on the recent (past 100 years) sea-level change curve. As a result, we got a distribution of the general volume of fluid flows depending on the infiltration coefficient. The real change in the Caspian Sea volume is at the lower range of the calculated values, so we cannot neglect the effect of “gas pipes” (“chimneys”) on the Caspian sea-level change.","PeriodicalId":51318,"journal":{"name":"Interpretation-A Journal of Subsurface Characterization","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2022-11-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44127915","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ruiqiang Yang, W. Ding, Zhan Zhao, Jingtao Liu, Shuo Shi, Teng Zhao, Peng Han
{"title":"Well trajectory optimization of ultra-deep and high-pressure drilling engineering based on high in-situ stress as the main control factor: a case study from the Ordovician carbonated reservoir in Shunbei area of Tarim basin","authors":"Ruiqiang Yang, W. Ding, Zhan Zhao, Jingtao Liu, Shuo Shi, Teng Zhao, Peng Han","doi":"10.1190/int-2022-0058.1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1190/int-2022-0058.1","url":null,"abstract":"With increasing oil and gas exploration and development, well trajectory optimization has gradually become the focus of the oil and gas industry. Considering the wellbore instability in the Shunbei area of the Tarim Basin, the well trajectory was scientifically optimized under the guidance of rock mechanics, drilling engineering, and mathematical methods, combined with actual geologic data, and with in situ stress as the main controlling factor. In this paper, the stress state of the wellbore is analyzed by linear elastic theory to establish the stress distribution model of the wellbore. The safety window model of wellbore stability is established using different rock failure criteria to calculate the collapse pressure and fracture pressure of the formation. Based on this, the safe mud density window is defined to achieve wellbore trajectory optimization. Finally, the influence factors of wellbore stability are discussed, and the applicability of different rock failure criteria is evaluated. The results indicate that under the normal faulting stress regime condition in the study area, the direction of horizontal minimum principal stress is the best drilling direction, where the borehole inclination angle of α > 50° is the optimal well trajectory. The wellbore stabilities of high-angle deviated wells and horizontal wells are better than those of low-angle deviated wells and vertical wells. The calculation results of the Mogi-Coulomb criterion can describe the conditions of the in situ stress field more accurately. The safe windows for different well trajectories are obtained directly by the numerical method, which is very practical for optimizing well trajectories and improving wellbore stability.","PeriodicalId":51318,"journal":{"name":"Interpretation-A Journal of Subsurface Characterization","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2022-11-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44660628","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Why high porosity but low production wells occur in carbonate reservoirs: An explanation from the perspective of pore structure","authors":"Fengjiao Zhang, S. Deng, Xuechun Wang, Li Bai","doi":"10.1190/int-2022-0029.1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1190/int-2022-0029.1","url":null,"abstract":"High porosity but low-production wells exist in the Leikoupo Formation in the Sichuan Basin, China. The unclear explanation for this phenomenon has led to the failure of fracture development. We selected 15 cores from the study area based on the oil test data to investigate the cause from the pore structure perspective. The pore structures were studied via a variety of petrophysical experiments, which include conventional physical property analysis, casting thin section, nuclear magnetic resonance technique, and constant-rate mercury injection. The results indicate that the main explanation for the high porosity but low-production wells is that the larger pore-to-throat ratio makes for poor pore connectivity and more large pores and vugs are trapped. Movable fluid saturation can be significantly influenced by microscopic pore structure rather than physical parameters, which is positively affected by throat radius and negatively correlated with the pore-throat radius ratio, relative sorting coefficient, and tortuosity of the throat. The results provide a basis for the exploration of carbonate reservoirs from a microscopic perspective.","PeriodicalId":51318,"journal":{"name":"Interpretation-A Journal of Subsurface Characterization","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2022-11-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48828211","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}